


This Time of the Year

by DaimeryanRei



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, M/M, Seasonal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-08 22:43:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5516018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaimeryanRei/pseuds/DaimeryanRei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on an international tour to promote Duel Monsters, Yuugi and Atemu find themselves in The Netherlands, Europe. It’s almost Christmas and Yuugi wants to find a nice souvenir for his family… and have some cuddle time with the man he loves so dearly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Time of the Year

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dillian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dillian/gifts).



\-------------------------

Yuugi rummaged through his suitcase and pulled out a black, woolly cap and a pair of gloves. It was blistering cold outside, which wasn’t uncommon in this country for this time of the year: December in The Netherlands was rainy, chilly, overcast and dreary. That didn’t hamper Yuugi’s cheerful attitude in the least, though.

“Mou hitori no boku, are you ready to leave? Don’t forget, it’s cold outside. You should wear a hat or a cap.” 

“Aibou, I look dreadful in any of those.”

Yuugi turned around and smiled at the man he loved so much: the other half of his soul, his everything and anything beyond everything. There was no day, no hour, no minute, no second he could breathe or live without the other, and he was perfectly fine with that. It had only been a few months since they had faced off against each other in a Ceremonial Duel after finding the Pharaoh’s final name. Despite Atemu’s loss, the Gods had granted him to stay in this world and live out his life like a ‘normal’ human. Nobody, not even Kaiba Seto himself, had batted an eye at Atemu moving in with Yuugi the moment they were back in Japan. 

“Not at all, mou hitori no boku. You look cute, and even cuter when you pout like this.” 

Atemu heaved a mock-dramatic sigh, but he allowed Yuugi to do what he wanted to do. It was of no use to protest; the slightly smaller man was a bit of a mother hen and he liked to coddle Atemu. It was one of the basic dynamics of their relationship: Yuugi did the coddling, Atemu did the protecting. Of course, Yuugi could take care of himself and Atemu knew how to dress against the cold, but this was simply how it worked for them. It was a routine they had slipped into since the beginning of their relationship, while respecting and loving each other very much.

“Besides, it’s to keep you warm,” Yuugi continued, catching all of Atemu’s wild hair under the woolly cap, except for the golden bangs framing his face. “You can’t get sick, remember?”

“I know, I know,” Atemu said and suffered in silence when Yuugi all but smothered him with a fleece scarf. They had been traveling all over the world to promote Duel Monsters, starting in the United States, then moving on to the United Kingdom and for the last leg of their promotional tour, they had arrived in Europe - The Netherlands, to be exact. Yuugi had lost track of all the hotels and placed they had visited, and of the number of people they had met. He was looking forward to return home soon; just a few more days in Germany before they could hop on the plane to Domino City, Japan. 

“If you get sick, who else is going to give master classes on deck building and games strategy?” Yuugi kissed him on the tip of his nose.

“You are,” Atemu grumbled, the lower part of his face covered by the scarf. Yuugi took a step back and shook his head, chuckling.

“Oh no, mister! We have a deal, remember? I teach the basics, you the advanced tactics.”

“Fine, fine.” It didn’t really matter, though. They had this afternoon off and Atemu had wanted to stay at the hotel room, cuddling and kissing, but Yuugi wanted to bring souvenirs home with him and he insisted on going out. Of course, Atemu relented - anything for his aibou - and he waited patiently until the other had finished dressing up himself. “It is not even freezing…”

“No, but there’s a very chilly north-western wind, and I don’t want to catch a cold either. Okay, I’m ready.”

“Ready.” Atemu took the keycard of their hotel room as well as his and Yuugi’s smart phone and the KaibaCorp. credit card. Kaiba had been really generous, as usual when it came to promoting Duel Monsters and the advanced holographic technology involved, so they didn’t need to pinch every penny. Yuugi had already traipsed out of the door and called for the elevator. Atemu wasn’t really sure what Yuugi had planned, but he quickly joined him in the elevator. He noticed that Yuugi was holding a piece of paper.

“What is that, aibou?”

“I asked the hotel manager for some sightseeing tips,” Yuugi said. “He recommended going to… agh, I can’t pronounce the Dutch language. It’s a home and garden center, a large… how to explain… shopping mall for gardening and interior decoration stuff. It’s supposed to be really beautiful, with a Christmas show and all.”

“Oh? I never heard of something like that before. Gardening? Are you sure?”

“Yes, kaa-san loves ikebana and interior decoration! I want to find a suitable souvenir.”

The elevator reached the ground floor and the doors opened with a loud ‘ping’. They crossed the lobby of the hotel and went outside, where the chilly wind immediately hit them in the face.

“Brrr!” Yuugi shivered. Atemu wrapped an arm around him. 

“Where do we need to go to?”

“The taxi should be here soon,” Yuugi said. “I hope we don’t have to wait long, because I’m freezing my ass off.”

“That would be such a waste.”

“Is that a joke? From _you _?”__

__Atemu pressed a kiss on his forehead, just below the rim of his cap. “Do not push it, aibou.”_ _

__“Sorry, mou hitori no boku.” Yuugi was amused, though. He reveled in Atemu’s attention and kisses. He moved his arm around the other’s waist and they snuggled closer. “I really like it here,” Yuugi said. “Dutch people don’t freak out at all when they see two men kissing in public.”_ _

__“You know how much I like to kiss you,” Atemu said._ _

__“But not in public,” Yuugi reminded him. He was convinced of Atemu’s love for him; however, the former Pharaoh could be quite distant when in public. Yuugi understood; not every country was tolerant and not everyone was affective all the time. These cuddles though, were icing on the cake. The taxi arrived._ _

__“ _Waarheen_?” the driver asked. As neither Yuugi nor Atemu spoke Dutch, Yuugi handed the man his piece of paper. He read it. “English?”_ _

__“Japanese,” Yuugi answered._ _

__“Sorry, I don’t speak that language, but my English is okay! Please, get in!”_ _

__They got into the car and Atemu left the casual “Are you tourists?” chit-chat up to Yuugi. After twenty minutes had passed, the car halted in front of a large building, decorated with Christmas lights all over. The entrance was flanked by two beautifully bright Christmas trees, without appearing too tacky or over-the-top._ _

__“Here you are,” the driver said. “Do you have the phone number where to reach us when you want to get back?”_ _

__“I believe so,” Yuugi answered and searched his pockets. “Eh…”_ _

__“Take this,” the driver handed him a business card. “Just call this number and ask for Remco. I’ll come pick you up.”_ _

__“Remco,” Yuugi tried out the foreign name. “Thank you very much!”_ _

__“Have fun,” Remco said before driving off. Atemu was standing next to one of the trees, admiring the stylish decoration._ _

__“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Yuugi tilted his head. “Oh, I wish we could bring home a truckload of these things!”_ _

__“Let us go inside, aibou.”_ _

__The automatic doors opened. Yuugi’s eyes went even wider than usual. The employees of the home and garden center had really done their best to present the collection as visually appealing as possible. On the ground floor, the focus was on outdoor activities and gardening: sleighs, rakes, bird houses and of course genuine Christmas trees. There was even a live Christmas stable for the kids: a small pen with two donkeys, a few goats, some chickens and geese, much to the delight of the youngest children, petting and cooing at the animals. In the background, all kinds of dolls were posing around a crib: Joseph, Maria, baby Jesus and the three wise kings._ _

__“What are those dolls doing there?” Atemu asked, curiously. Yuugi scratched the back of his head._ _

__“Eh… it’s a bit long-winded and complicated,” he said. “Christmas is a religious holiday... and…” He didn’t know if Atemu had any religious beliefs at all, at the moment. And if so, would he still believe in the Ancient Egyptian pantheon? “I’ll tell you later,” Yuugi squeezed his hand gently. “Let’s just enjoy the atmosphere and the wonderful decorations for now.”_ _

__“All right, aibou.” Atemu didn’t question him, trusting Yuugi to tell him what he wanted to know, now or later. They admired the huge collection of outdoor lights, ranging from simple tube shapes to extravagant, swan-like creatures. Yuugi mused about what the neighbors would say if he put a reindeer-shaped, tall ornament in front of the Game Shop… it would certainly increase the electricity bill!_ _

__The escalator brought them to the first floor. The small space between the two escalators was dressed up with a lovely winter wonderland scene of a white-clad Santa Claus on his sleigh, with the reindeers in front of him. The animatronics technology allowed the Santa Claus doll to repeat a warm-hearted ‘ho ho ho’ and “Merry Christmas” over and over again, while moving his head around and waving his arm, up and down. The reindeers bobbed their heads along to the seasonal music. They looked so life-like that Yuugi was tempted to pet one… just to make sure it was a puppet and not a real reindeer._ _

__“Amazing,” Yuugi said as they stepped off the escalator. The entire floor was remodeled into a snowy village, straight out of Lapland. His cheeks were red with excitement; it was all so beautiful! Inside every ‘house’, an assortment of Christmas merchandise, everything neatly arranged, was available. Scented candles, candleholders in all shapes and sizes, mugs, tablecloths and napkins, seasonal themed trinkets… Yuugi wanted to touch and feel everything, like a kid in a candy store. He really loved all the shiny objects and everything available to turn the house into a veritable Christmas village itself._ _

__“This is really weird,” Atemu said, holding something that looked like a pillow. “Fake snow?”_ _

__Yuugi took a closer look. “Oh, I see, it’s a snow blanket,” he said. “You can put that around the base of the Christmas tree, so it looks like it has snowed.”_ _

__“It seems a little exaggerated to me,” Atemu said, slightly dumbfounded. As they were alone in this particular ‘house’, Yuugi quickly crept closer to Atemu and touched his cheek._ _

__“Don’t you like it here, mou hitori no boku?” he asked, dreading the answer. Atemu put his hand over his._ _

__“It is a little overwhelming, but it is nice,” he answered truthfully. “This is the first time that I really experience Christmas, and it is a little hard for me to get in the mood.”_ _

__“We still shared a body back then,” Yuugi said. “It was different for the both of us.” He heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry. I know you rather wanted to stay at the hotel. You’re tired, you’ve been working so hard. I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.”_ _

__“Do not say that, aibou.” Atemu brought up his other hand to brush a golden bang out of Yuugi’s face. “Your happiness makes me happy, and I love seeing you all enthusiastic like this. _I_ should not be the one dragging you into my own mood of melancholy.”_ _

__“You miss your family,” Yuugi said softly. “Mou hitori no boku…”_ _

__“ _You_ are my family,” Atemu lowered his voice as well. “Do not ever, not even for a second, think that I regret being here, aibou. My life is here with you, at your side. Nothing will ever come between us.”_ _

__Yuugi was relieved to hear that. He knew it deep down in his heart, and he was grateful that his feelings had been confirmed. He wanted to kiss Atemu right there and then, but he could hear other customers approaching; they weren’t alone in the home and garden center, of course._ _

__“Should we continue?” Yuugi asked._ _

__“Yes, we should.” Atemu stepped to the side as an elderly couple entered the ‘house’, talking amicably. Yuugi moved on to one of the other ‘houses’, this one offering a variety of scented candles. He was enthralled by the large choice of scents: apple and cinnamon, cranberry, forest berries, baked cookies, pumpkin and vanilla, and he put quite a few into his shopping basket._ _

__“Kaiba-kun won’t mind to pay for excess luggage, will he?”_ _

__“We will just charge the company credit card.” Atemu wasn’t perturbed in the least and Yuugi secretly added a few candles called ‘winter dream’ to the basket. Wandering around, they ended up at the last ‘house’ before they could move on to the next part of the Christmas show._ _

__“Why is there water here?” Yuugi asked, confused at the makeshift, small pond. “Look! People have tossed coins into it!”_ _

__Atemu looked into the water, marveling at the amount of coins on the bottom. “What kind of tradition is this?”_ _

__“I can’t read Dutch.” Yuugi pouted at the small sign that was posted next to the pond. A nearby young girl, dressed in the colors of the home and garden center, spoke up: “English?”_ _

__“English, yes?”_ _

__“This is something like a…” she searched for the word, “…wishing well. Years ago, we made a pond to go with our Christmas show, and people spontaneously tossed money into it. It has happened every year since, so we decided to allow it. We take out the money daily and donate it to charity. This year, we raise money for KiKa - a Dutch funds for children with cancer.”_ _

__“Oh, thank you so much for your explanation,” Yuugi said. He turned towards Atemu. “Do you have some loose coins?”_ _

__Atemu dug in to his pants pocket. “I have a few Euros.” He retrieved the coins and handed them to Yuugi, who carefully dropped the money into the pond._ _

__“Thank you so much, sir,” the girl said. Yuugi beamed at her. This was such a nice day! The next part of the Christmas show was an extended demonstration of miniature, decorative village collections. It was simply too much to see; the personnel had created elaborate landscapes to showcase all the individual stores and buildings that made up the Dickensian, Victorian or modern-day Christmas villages: bakeries, chapels, department stores, ice rinks, antique shops, market places, all adorned with figurines and accessorized to create a perfect picture. Even though Yuugi wasn’t interesting in collecting, he admired the time and the effort that had gone into building and configuring all these miniature villages and he spend quite some time looking at everything. Atemu was fascinated by the miniature railway; an elaborate network of railroad tracks that connected the villages and landscapes by having various trains running down the tracks.  
Yuugi looked around and spotted a small cafeteria, or a ‘coffee corner’ as it was called. He tugged at Atemu’s elbow. _ _

__“How about some hot chocolate?”_ _

__“Good idea, aibou.”_ _

__The cafeteria offered a limited choice of coffees, teas and hot chocolate, but it was more than enough for Yuugi. He also indulged into an ‘appelflap’, an apple fritter, Dutch-style. He knew Atemu didn’t have much of a sweet tooth so he ordered cinnamon tea for him, and hot chocolate for himself. They chose a seat on the large sofa near the open fire place; it wasn’t real fire obviously, but it added to the atmosphere. Yuugi stuffed a large, comfy cushion against his back before reclining. He cradled his large mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream to his chest and eagerly sipped the hot drink. As soon as the sweet, sweet chocolate touched his lips, he heaved a blissful sigh. Atemu stirred his tea._ _

__“What did you want to buy for kaa-san?”_ _

__“I have this!” Yuugi reached for his shopping basket and pulled out two small, see-through bags. “These are realistic mushrooms, berries and dried fruits,” he explained. “Kaa-san loves to make centerpieces and I think these items will also go well with her ikebana hobby.”_ _

__“It looks real enough, indeed,” Atemu said. “She is very creative. I am sure she will like it.”_ _

__“I hope she’ll also like the candles, the napkins and the ornaments,” Yuugi said innocently._ _

__“I deserve a gold medal for being the most patient boyfriend,” Atemu said._ _

__“No, you deserve a gold crown,” Yuugi said. “It looked so wonderful on you.”_ _

__Atemu sipped his tea. “I am not a Pharaoh anymore,” he said, without any bitterness. “I still might look like one, but officially…”_ _

__“You’ll always be a Pharaoh to me,” Yuugi concluded. He brought the focus back on their Christmas shopping. “Isn’t there anything you want, mou hitori no boku?”_ _

__“When I see something I like, I will put it in your shopping basket, aibou.”_ _

__“Great!” Yuugi leaned forward to cut the apple fritter in half. He knew that Atemu didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, but he liked to indulge his love for pastry every now and then. He gave Atemu one half of the apple fritter along with a napkin, while he took the other part. It was very crisp and delicious with lots of cinnamon, but not too sugary. He discreetly licked off his fingers before checking his watch._ _

__“I really would like to see the last part of the Christmas show, mou hitori no boku. Are you feeling up to it?”_ _

__“Of course.” Atemu showed him a smile. “It was nice to have a small break, though.”_ _

__“I know what you mean. I can barely feel my feet anymore!”_ _

__“Let us go,” Atemu suggested. He put their used napkins into a trash bin. Yuugi picked up his shopping basket and with renewed energy, he continued browsing the rest of the merchandise. This part was all about the ornaments and decorations for the Christmas tree; everything was arranged by color and displayed in such a way that all the ornaments were easy to combine to create the perfect tree. A couple of trees were already decorated to inspire the customers; there was a bridal-white tree with white and silver ornaments, a tree with very artistic accessories (Yuugi couldn’t figure out what it all represented, but it was… artsy) and a tree so campy that even Pegasus would run away, fast, from it._ _

__“It’s amazing how many things you can buy, just to decorate a tree,” Yuugi mumbled to himself. He was standing at a table with red trinkets, bearing the very same, deep-red color of Atemu’s eyes. He was very tempted to buy two glass spheres with a glow of that red color and a snowy landscape on the inside. It was very intricate and detailed, but he was afraid it wasn’t going to survive the flight all the way home. Besides, his shopping basket was getting heavy… He looked around for Atemu and he found him at the display of everything bronze and gold colored, and he couldn’t help but smile._ _

__“Gold,” he said. “That’s really your color.”_ _

__“Guilty as charged.” Atemu showed him a golden adorned conical object, as fragile as paper in the wind, but of a beauty that Yuugi had barely seen before._ _

__“That’s amazing,” he said. “Wonderful!”_ _

__“Do you think kaa-san can put this in one of her centerpieces somehow?” Atemu asked._ _

__“If not, then we’ll find another destination for it.” Yuugi held up his shopping basket. “Just put it in here, mou hitori no boku.”_ _

__Very carefully, Atemu put it on top of the napkins, so it wouldn’t get damaged. Yuugi was glad that Atemu had found something after all. They spend some more time at this department until they reached the end of the Christmas show. Yuugi was ready to check out. The cash registers were at the far end; fortunately there wasn’t a large line. The cashier only needed to point her laser scanner at the merchandise and the computer added everything up. Another girl, the same young woman who had explained them about the wishing well, rolled the fragile ornaments in smooth yet thick wrapping paper to avoid any damage. Atemu took care of the financial transaction and picked up both bags with all the purchases. Yuugi said their goodbyes to the cashiering ladies and followed Atemu outside, where the chilly north-western wind had picked up in strength, and the cold penetrated even their warm clothes. Yuugi shivered as he took out his cell phone to call the taxi company. He asked for Remco and was told that it wouldn’t take long. Shivering once more, Yuugi took Atemu by the elbow and pressed himself close. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Remco to appear. He parked his car right in front of them and he swiftly took the bags from Atemu to put them in the trunk, albeit carefully._ _

__“Get in, get in, it’s much too cold to wait outside. You guys finished shopping? Do you want to go somewhere else?”_ _

__“No, we’d like to go back to the hotel now,” Yuugi said as he settled in the plush backseat. He waited for Atemu to join him and Remco closed the doors, jumping behind the wheel._ _

__“You know, I’ve been thinking all afternoon where I know you guys from,” Remco said as he started the engine. He drove off, only to get immediately stuck in the rush hour traffic. He wasn’t disturbed in the least and changed lanes whenever he could, obviously very experienced with the busy traffic. “Now I know; you’re those Duel Monsters instructors, right?”_ _

__“True,” Yuugi answered. “Do you play the game?”_ _

__“No, sorry, I’m not much of a gamer… but I have a fourteen year old at home who’s got a spiffy deck!”_ _

__Yuugi didn’t know what ‘spiffy’ meant as his knowledge of English wasn’t that comprehensive, but he took it as something positive. He wriggled a little to take a ticket out of his pocket, as he always carried a few free admission vouchers with him. He handed one to Remco. “Here, take this! Now your kid can take a master class from me or my partner, free of charge.”_ _

__“Much appreciated,” Remco said, taking the voucher from Yuugi. “She loves kicking ass in tournaments, especially because boys keep telling her the game isn’t for girls.”_ _

__“Oh, we know some girls who’d absolutely disagree with that,” Yuugi said. He looked over at Atemu, who had nodded off. It was quite warm in the car and he was cozily leaning on Yuugi._ _

__“Your partner is tired,” Remco said. “I guess that tour of yours must be exhausting, right?”_ _

__Yuugi nodded. “Yeah, we went from the United States to the United Kingdom and now we’re in Europe… and the next year, we’ll be touring all off Asia too.”_ _

__“Wow…but you’ll be home for Christmas?”_ _

__“Oh yes, for sure! I don’t want to spend the holidays in a hotel room!”_ _

__“I can imagine! I’d be exhausted as well… say, if you don’t mind me asking... which one of you is the King of Games, exactly?”_ _

__Yuugi chuckled. “He’s the Pharaoh, I’m the King of Games,” he said and left it at that. Remco grinned in return and focused on the road as the traffic picked up. Finally, they arrived at the hotel. Yuugi tapped Atemu on the shoulder while Remco retrieved their shopping bags from the trunk._ _

__“Mou hitori no boku, wake up. We’re back at the hotel.”_ _

__“Hm, what? Ah, yes…” Atemu opened his eyes, blinking, slightly unfocused. “Sorry about that, aibou.”_ _

__“It’s okay, it’s been a long day. I’m famished, though - do you want to order room service or have something to eat at the restaurant?”_ _

__“We can grab a bite to eat at the restaurant.” Atemu put a hand on his stomach. “I am famished too.”_ _

__Yuugi smiled at him. A bleary-eyed Pharaoh was cute to look at; seeing Atemu without his ‘serious game face’ on was one of Yuugi’s guilty pleasures. “Don’t forget to tip Remco,” he said as they left the car. “He was quite nice to me while you were snoring.”_ _

__“I do not snore,” Atemu went on the defense, and then frowned. “ _How_ nice?”_ _

__“Not the kind of ‘nice’ to warrant a batsu game or a one-way ticket to the Shadow Realm,” Yuugi said as he took the shopping bags from Remco and thanked him in his best English._ _

____

\---------------------------------

After saying goodbye to Remco (and indeed, Atemu tipped him, albeit grumping) and a nice dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, it was getting late and they went back to their room. Yuugi yawned while the elevator brought them up to the fourth floor.

“A nice hot shower, perhaps some TV, and then it’s time to go to bed,” he said. “Tomorrow the master classes and we have to pack our stuff for Germany.”

“Leipzig, Bonn and Berlin in two days,” Atemu said. “Kaiba sure knows how to completely overstuff a schedule.”

“I think he wanted to add more cities,” Yuugi said. “I’m still amazed that he didn’t try to change our minds when we said ‘no’.”

“Perhaps even Kaiba knows when he is pushing it,” Atemu said and looked at Yuugi, before they both said: “Nah.”

Yuugi heaved a sigh of relief when Atemu opened the door to the hotel room. His feet were killing him and he longed for a shower. He all but flopped on the bed, groaning. 

“Something wrong, aibou?” Atemu put the two bags away and walked over to Yuugi. He removed his shoes and Yuugi wiggled his toes.

“I have the stamina of an eighty-year-old,” he complained. “But I had so much fun! I thought it was really wonderful.”

“It was,” Atemu agreed. “I cannot imagine the amount of time and effort they have poured into all that decoration. It was really a nice, warm atmosphere.”

“I know.” Yuugi made a kissy face and wasn’t disappointed; Atemu leaned a little into him and pressed his lips on his. “Shower?”

“Together?”

“You go first,” Yuugi said. “I’ll join you, all right?”

While Atemu was in the shower, Yuugi made sure to pack the seasonal gifts in his suitcase, folding his garments around his purchases so it wouldn’t break. Now he had a souvenir for every one of their friends, and a few special gifts for his mother and grandfather. He had kept two scented candles in a glass jar apart: one ‘winter dream’ candle and one ‘baked cookies’. Yuugi lit them and dimmed the harsh hotel lights. It took him a few seconds to undress himself (leaving his garments in a heap on the floor, but Atemu wasn’t really any better at folding up his clothes) and he traipsed to the bathroom. It held a large walk-in shower and through the frosted glass, Yuugi could see Atemu’s outline. He coughed a few times to announce his arrival as he didn’t want to startle Atemu; sure enough, the former Pharaoh had been so lost in thoughts that it took a few coughs before he noticed Yuugi.

“Aibou, come over here,” he said and Yuugi happily joined him. The warm water gushed all over him and he wrapped his arms around Atemu.

“Mou hitori no boku…”

No answer but a kiss, such a delicious kiss that it made Yuugi’s knees go weak. He all but clung to the other, fingers trailing down his spine. Atemu’s hands were on his shoulders and Yuugi didn’t protest when a dollop of shower gel hit his skin. He turned around so Atemu could distribute the gel all over him; a sandalwood scent, one of his favorites. 

“That feels so much better,” Yuugi said. He reached for the shampoo bottle and held it in front of Atemu. “Please?”

“Of course, aibou.” 

“Next time, I’ll do your hair again.”

“No problem.” Atemu liked trailing his hands through Yuugi’s hair, so it wasn’t a daunting task to perform. It was mutual pleasure, as Yuugi loved the feeling of Atemu’s hands through his hair, so he moaned softly, enjoying the moment. He tilted his head a little, basking in the warmth of the water and the attention he received from his lover, his other half, his own Pharaoh. 

“Maybe we should stay here…” he mumbled.

“We will use up all the water, aibou.”

“No, that’s not what I mean…”

Atemu moved his hands a little lower, his slender fingers stroking Yuugi’s neck. He shivered with pleasure.

“What is it you mean?”

“You know… this country was the first to legalize same-sex marriage,” Yuugi said. He tilted his head further, leaning against Atemu’s shoulder. He had to crane his neck to look at the other and he lifted up his hand to trace a trail of wet drops on Atemu’s cheek. “We could get married here.”

Atemu took Yuugi’s hand and pressed a kiss on it. “If it were possible, I would marry you in a heartbeat,” he said. “As it is, I do not even exist, aibou. The Gods were as kind as to grant me life and this body, but they did not grant me a social security number or a birth certificate.”

“I know.” Yuugi scrunched up his nose. His position was too awkward and he was straining his neck, so he turned around to face Atemu. The water rinsed out the rest of the shampoo and he waited until the product was completely gone, so he wouldn’t get any residue in his eyes or mouth. “Maybe we should ask Kaiba-kun. He’s so good with computers… maybe he can fake an ID or something like that.”

“Hold that thought,” Atemu said. “Let us not taint this wonderful day with somber thoughts.”

Yuugi nodded. “You’re right.” He reached for the faucet and turned it off. 

Wrapping a towel around himself, Yuugi walked back into the hotel room. The candles had started to give off their wonderful scent; he inhaled it almost greedily. Atemu was less modest; after drying himself off, he just walked around with just one towel, as to dry his hair.

“It’s a good thing we’re on the fourth floor, and there’s no other building opposite the hotel,” Yuugi said, not that he was complaining about the view. 

“I do not see the problem,” Atemu said and winked at him. “Do you want to watch some TV, aibou? Or should we go straight to bed?”

“I want to cuddle,” Yuugi said. His head was spinning of the many impressions of the Christmas show and he still had the carols ringing in his ears. Unceremoniously, he dumped the towels on the floor and rolled himself onto the bed, totally beat. The mattresses shifted under the added weight when Atemu joined him, his hands slipping under Yuugi’s arms. Yuugi immediately hooked his arms around Atemu and pulled him close. They shared a kiss; one of many, and still every kiss was unique, as if they kissed each other for the first time.

“Remember, right after the Ceremonial Duel?” Yuugi asked, breathlessly.

“On the boat back to Caïro, I remember,” Atemu answered. “Our first real-life kiss.”

“Our first kiss,” Yuugi repeated. “It was so awkward. It had only been a few hours since you were restored to your body…”

“But I made up for it, right?”

“You sure did.” Yuugi smiled at the thought of that particular memory. He had been afraid to lose Atemu, that he had to return to the Afterlife, but now Atemu was _in_ his life, and he wanted it to last forever. Another kiss, and another… “I wasn’t kidding about marriage, you know.”

“I know.” Atemu nipped at his lips. “We will ask Kaiba as soon as we are home again.”

“First, I want to celebrate Christmas with you. A proper Christmas. You and me.”

“As you wish…”

Yuugi moved his hands a little, his fingers caressing Atemu’s skin. “Mou hitori no boku?”

“Yes?”

He raised his head so he could whisper in Atemu’s ear. “Make love to me?”

“I was already planning to.” 

“I knew it… I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” Gently, Atemu moved his hands along Yuugi’s sides. Their relationship had ‘officially’ started when he had obtained his own body, but the genuine love and care they had felt for each other, had been there from the moment Yuugi had solved the Puzzle and awakened Atemu’s spirit. Yes, their first kisses had been awkward and exploring their bodies had been awkward as well, but both had gained much confidence, learning and knowing each other’s sensitive spots and pleasures, and when to take it slow and easy, and when to give into pure lust and desire. Tonight they were going to take their time, caressing and stroking all over, kissing and cuddling as the passion intensified. The scented candles were halfway when the intense moaning and gasping died down, and a comfortable silence settled in. Yuugi had figured he would fall asleep just like Atemu, but instead he stared at the ceiling, replaying the intensity of the day in his mind, savoring the wonderful memories of their visit to the lovely garden and home center and how everything had been so amazing and nice. Atemu was lying on top of him, his breathing calm and comforting. Yuugi reached for the candles to blow them out, one by one, a soft, content smile on his face. He moved his arm around Atemu again, who made an unintelligible noise, while deep asleep. Satisfied and feeling grateful, Yuugi closed his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him, while in the arms of the man he loved so much.

\--------------------------------------------

**Author's Note:**

> To give you a small impression of a similar Christmas show in The Netherlands, here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure: 
> 
> [](http://s72.photobucket.com/user/daimeryan_rei/media/intratuin%20duiven%20kerst%202.jpg.html)
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://s72.photobucket.com/user/daimeryan_rei/media/intratuin%20duiven%20kerst%203.jpg.html)
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://s72.photobucket.com/user/daimeryan_rei/media/intratuin%20duiven%20kerst%204.jpg.html)


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